What did we learn about marketing in 2017?

January 24, 2018

Marketing entails a constant learning process, as we must continuously adapt to the demands and expectations of our target audiences, the mediums through which we reach these audiences, and the trends that influence the market as a whole. The 2017 marketing scene was no different in this regard; there were many important marketing lessons to be gained throughout the year.

Here are a few of the biggest lessons to consider as we move into a new year.

Prepare your team early

Preemptive planning continues to be a vital part of effective marketing, and in the last few years, this notion has become recognized arguably more than ever. A strong marketing team must be cohesive and functional, and in order to achieve this reality, you must mitigate (or totally eliminate) internal conflicts to successfully move forward. Once you have found your feet in this manner, you will be able to center your team on a common goal and healthily pursue that goal without unnecessary hindrances.

Liven up B2B approaches

As HubSpot observes, B2B marketing approaches do not need to be boring. When marketing this way, do not be afraid to try new and unconventional ways of reaching other businesses and maximizing your audience at large. Recent years — 2017 included — have taught us that the B2B realm, while usually perceived as a more formal and formulaic marketing process, can in fact be lively and interesting when enacted with an ambitious, yet careful hand.

Embrace data

As I previously observed, data analytics are a great way to better understand your customers. Last year, big data became an even bigger player in not only the marketing sector, but in most of the professional world in general. Data allow us to paint a better picture of customer behavior, from website navigation habits to trends in search content. Moving into 2018, the most successful marketers will be those continuing to embrace big data as a full-fledged paradigm shift, not a mere trend in technology’s broad evolution.

Be picky with social media

Social media has risen as a highly effective marketing tool in recent years. If there is one lesson to take away from social media marketing in 2017, it is to be meticulous in our social media outlet selection. With so many outlets to choose from, it can be easy to get overly ambitious and aim for too many audiences at once, which is a surefire way to overwhelm yourself. Instead, narrow your reach to just a few outlets — ones that are the most appropriate in terms of the product or service you are offering. For example, a news company will likely want to initially favor Twitter, Facebook, and other quick-update-style platforms to facilitate breaking news updates and announcements. You may find creative ways to expand to other outlets down the line, but starting out, keep things simple.